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“My entire professional career has been devoted to understanding the things that make us sick, a motivation that aligns with uBiome’s mission to advance the science of the microbiome and make it useful for people." - Dr. DeRisi

SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB)November 06, 2018

uBiome, the leader in microbial genomics, today announced the appointment of Joseph DeRisi, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Co-President of Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, to its Board of Directors.

“Joe has served as a scientific adviser to uBiome since 2013, and we are honored that he is expanding his role as a member of our board of directors,” said Zachary Apte, Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO of uBiome. “Joe is a brilliant researcher known for his early contributions to the development of the microarray, which underlies all next-generation sequencing technology in use today, as well as his pioneering work in microbiology and virology. His leadership in scientific discovery and applications will be valuable as we continue to advance and expand our product offerings.”

Dr. DeRisi is a MacArthur Genius Award-winning biochemist specializing in molecular biology, parasitology, genomics, virology, and computational biology. Prior to being appointed Co-President of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, he was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. He is also a Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at UCSF. Dr. DeRisi was one of the early pioneers of DNA microarray technology and whole-genome expression profiling, and is nationally recognized for his efforts to make this technology accessible and freely available. Dr. DeRisi was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2015 and to the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Academy of Medicine in 2016. Prior to joining UCSF in 1999, Dr. DeRisi earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry at Stanford University with genomics legend Patrick O. Brown, and his B.A. in biochemistry and molecular biology at University of California, Santa Cruz. He is a previous Searle Scholar and Packard Fellow and the recipient of numerous awards, including the WIRED RAVE award, and the Heinz Award in Technology, the Economy and Employment.

“My entire professional career has been devoted to understanding the things that make us sick, a motivation that aligns with uBiome’s mission to advance the science of the microbiome and make it useful for people,” said Dr. DeRisi. “I look forward to collaborating with uBiome to convert these insights into actionable information about human health and disease, and ultimately into new products and therapeutics to benefit the world.”
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About uBiome
Founded in 2012, uBiome is the leader in microbial genomics. The Company’s mission is to advance the science of the microbiome and make it useful to people. uBiome combines its patented proprietary precision sequencing™ with machine learning and artificial intelligence to develop wellness products, clinical tests, and therapeutics. uBiome’s commercial products include SmartGut™, the world’s first sequencing-based clinical microbiome test, which identifies microbes in the gut for patients with chronic gut conditions such as IBD, IBS, Crohn’s Disease, and ulcerative colitis; SmartJane™, the first sequencing-based women’s health screening test, which genotypes all 19 clinically relevant strains of HPV, identifies four common STDs, and surveys more than 20 vaginal microbes associated with bacterial vaginosis and other conditions; and Explorer™, a health and wellness product to understand the role that food and lifestyle can play in wellness.

uBiome’s platform has been used by hundreds of thousands of consumers, patients, and doctors and more than 200 research institutions around the world, including the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), US National Institutes of Health (NIH), Harvard University, Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of California, San Francisco, Oxford University, and the University of Sydney. Since its launch, the company has received widespread recognition including CNN 10: Startups to Watch, the IVY Technology Award, CNN Future 30, and was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in Healthcare in 2016 and in Data Science in 2018, as well as a Technology Pioneer from the World Economic Forum in 2018.